For those who haven’t taken advantage of one yet, Team Red Lizard is hosting more member appreciation events in the coming months. As a special add-on to our usually fantastic group runs (and even First Friday), we will be treating members showing up on these specific dates to a beverage. All you need to do is show up for the event and allow yourself a little extra time to hang out afterward… sounds pretty simple, right?

If that sounds like something you might want to take advantage of, here is the list of dates to make sure you have on your calendar:
August 7th – First Friday
August 13th – Goose
September 22nd – Track
October 18th – Starbucks

Who’s ready for some of the most unique “races” that exist in the area? The Tour de Goose has been a Lizard tradition for more than a decade, and it seems like each year, David Hatfield is able to find unique new challenges to mix in with some of the classic stages that have been part of Tour de Goose since the beginning.

So what is Tour de Goose? The short version of the story is that the excitement of watching Tour de France cyclists inspired a series of races at the weekly Goose Hollow run. Over the years we have added in other locations and elaborate events, but we still keep some of the classics in the mix – the uphill climb to Fairview, the downhill mile, and of course the uphill sprint stage to crown the Mista and Sista Vista stage winners.

Whether you are a TdG veteran, or someone brand new to the club, you should come join us for this unique series of events that kick off soon. And the best part about these “races” is that the are FREE! Here is the list of stages, dates and start locations:

Looking for a fun way to spend the first half of your Fourth of July this year? If so, you might consider joining the Lizards at the aid station on Sauvie Island for the Foot Traffic Flat Half and Full Marathon. Handing out water and electrolytes, rockin’ some tunes, and cheering on some tired runners competing in the event might be a great way to kick off your Fourth before doing other more American things – like eating hot dogs and blowing things up. I will still consider you a patriotic American, even if you decide to forego BBQ mystery meats and watching fireworks.

Although… we usually do have a pretty sweet potluck barbeque at the aid station location. No mystery meats required. Depending upon what people bring with them, we usually do get a nice spread of grilled items, sides, salads, and beer to enjoy as the competitors on the course start to thin out. The BBQ at the aid station is a great spot for those Lizards actually competing in the 5k, half or full to come hang out after they finish their event.

It takes a good sized group of volunteers to pull off this event, so if you are in town this Fourth of July weekend, come join the Lizards aid station on Sauvie Island for some or all of the event.

June is coming! Not only is that exciting because the official start to summer begins in June, but there are also a lot of rewarding volunteer opportunities during June that we need a whole lot o’ Lizards to pull off.

First up is the Special Olympics Track Meet on June 6. If you remember competing in a well-organized track meet, this is your opportunity to help put on the state’s largest Special Olympics event. And putting this event on takes a lot of dedicated folks. Lou Karl is leading this effort for the club, but right now, there are a whole lot of positions we need people to volunteer for. Check out this thread on the message board to find out what you can sign up to help out with.

Is there a better way to start your Sunday morning than by getting out for a long run with your Lizard pals? And if you are running from Starbucks, sticking around for a cup of coffee afterwards is always expected. But what isn’t expected is when you actually get that cup of coffee for free.

The usual scoop on the Sunday Starbucks run is that if 10 or more people show up, Tim will raffle off a $5 gift card for one lucky winner to enjoy a cup of coffee on the club. But this week (Sunday, May 10), we will be making everyone who shows up a lucky winner of a gift card for a cup of coffee.

Haven’t been out for the Sunday run before? What you need to know is that we meet at the NW 23rd & Overton Starbucks at 8:30am. The usual route is 12 miles. All paces are welcome. Check the message board for the route and other details.

First Friday for May is a sneaky one, since it falls on the first of the month – a true FIRST First Friday. And not only is this a special First Friday for being on the first of the month… it will be the first time we have had a Member Appreciation Event at First Friday.

The typical Member Appreciation Events have usually involved buying beer or coffee for people who show up for whichever group run we are featuring, but May 1 will be the first time we ever buy beer for folks showing up to First Friday. While I am fairly certain that there is typically not much need to motivate people to drink beer and socialize at First Friday (since that is pretty much the whole point of this monthly gathering), if having a pint on us helps sway your decision whether to join us this month… then we will see you there.

And in case you have never joined us, First Friday is an informal monthly gathering of Red Lizard members at the Lucky Lab in NW Portland (1945 NW Quimby). A group usually starts arriving around 7:30 and is there for a couple hours. Depending on the night, there may be 15-50 people who show up. This low-key gathering is really just an excuse to get to know your fellow runners and chat about races, running, adventures, your job, your kids, your dogs, the quality of the food and beer at the Lucky Lab, or whatever strikes your fancy.

All I know is that there will be some free pitchers of beer the club is going to be buying, so you know where I will be this Friday Friday. Come join us!

Feel like making your weekend long run a community service event? Then consider pacing the full or half marathon in Vancouver this June. Team Red Lizard is going to be providing pace teams for 9 pace times in the full marathon (range from 3:00 to 5:00 finish time) and 7 pace times in the half (1:30 to 3:00 finish times). Whether you opt to pace the full or the half, all pacers will only be responsible for pacing a half marathon – so we will have 2 groups for each time in the full, but half marathon pacers will run the entire distance.

If you haven’t ever paced before, it is a truly rewarding experience. The weekend long run is a staple for most runners, but to be able to get in your long run while helping other runners meet their goal takes that run to a whole new level. There is a reason that some club members have been leading pace groups for more than a decade – including our fearless Pace Team Director, Tim Swietlik.

June 21 might seem like a ways off, but it will be here before we know it – and we have a lot of pacer slots to fill. Slots are first come-first serve, so mark your calendar and claim your pace slot now.

Visit this thread on the message board for all the details and to see what pace slots are still available. And if you don’t want to register to use the message board, you can always email Tim at imarunr@comcast.net

Most people think of Wednesday as “hump day,” but for the Lizard faithful, Thursday is the day you make it up and over the top of the hill. In the winter, the weekly Goose run heads from the Goose Hollow Inn (we meet at the corner of SW 19th and Madison) up to the top of Council Crest, and our summer route (which we have been running since daylight savings kicked in) leads us from the Goose up through the Rose Garden to Wildwood Trail ending at Pittock Mansion.

A hill workout, an amazing view, a great group of folks to run with… and to sweeten the deal even more, this Thursday (April 16) we will also be buying the first round of drinks for everyone who shoes up for the run and feels like hanging out afterward. We call it a “member appreciation run,” which is really just added motivation for getting people to join us for our weekly group runs and discover (or in my case remember) why these are such great runs.

A run on the trails on a gorgeous summer-like Thursday followed by a free beer… how could I say no??? Come join me!

Attention Lizard members, friends, family of members, or someone you know wishing to help – our biggest volunteer activity of the year is only a couple months away – and we need all hands on deck to pull this off. TRL will once again be organizing and putting the Special Olympics regional track meet, which will be held this year at Mt. Hood Community College Track, 26000 SE Stark Street, Gresham, OR on Saturday, June 6, 2015 from 9am – 4pm.

This is TRL’s 13th year organizing and coordinating the largest Special Olympics regional track meet in Oregon. The event has attracted up to 350 athletes and is the stepping stone to State, National, and World Championships.

We have many positions to fill so the call goes out to all. I count 84 volunteer slots that need to be filled, and while a single person is capable of doubling up on some of those (e.g. volunteering Friday afternoon for set up and again on Saturday… or helping out with a morning event and another event in the afternoon), there is still a HUGE need for volunteers to make this event happen.

No prior experience is necessary; you will be instructed on what you need to do when you show up for whatever slot you volunteer for. Besides the appreciation of the athletes, you will also receive a SO volunteer shirt and complimentary lunch.

Want to know what positions we need volunteers for, or interested in volunteering? Visit the official thread on the Message Board
or you can contact TRL’s Special Olympics lead, Lou Karl
Email: lou@redlizardrunning.com

Rick and Joanna watch an exchange during one of the 2014 relay races

Bring a smile and supportive attitude and join us for a truly inspiring volunteer experience.

A yearly tradition, Team Red Lizard will once again celebrate the Easter holiday with our tradition of hiding eggs along the Fulton route. As usual the eggs will be hidden starting at the church and along the trail that eventually leads back to the church. No eggs will be hidden prior to the church on the bridge or construction areas so as not to endanger any Lizards trying to get free candy or more importantly a Golden Egg! Finding a Golden Egg will let you win even better swag from our box of free stuff. There will be plenty of eggs and candy to go around so keep an eye out during the run.

As always, we’ll start the run at 6pm at the Fulton pub at the corner of Nebraska and Macadam. Be prompt, you don’t want someone starting out early and getting all the eggs before you get there!